So you want to learn Salsa, but are not sure what style to learn? Or you have been dancing for a while, but want to explore some other Salsa steps that you saw somewhere? Well this is a guide that will tell what the different styles of Salsa steps are all about.
You might wonder why there are so many different styles of Salsa steps. The reason is that Salsa had so many different influences, which led to different styles of dancing. Also, every region in the world dances Salsa a bit differently and adds its unique flavour to the many styles. However, these styles aren't fixed and set in stone. They are quite fluid and forever changing.
Most of the styles you hear about are associated with a geographic area, where this style was invented and is predominantly danced. This also means that if you live in one of those areas you might find that most teachers teach that particular style. The different kinds of styles are differentiated by foot patterns, body movement, turns and figures, attitude and the influence of other dances.
The first style I want to talk about is Los Angeles style Salsa, which is influenced by Mambo, Argentine Tango and Swing. The essential steps in this style are the forward and backward basics and the cross-body lead. This style is danced strictly in a slot and there's no traveling on the dance floor. This sounds quite restricting, but actually L.A. Salsa steps are very flashy and explosive, with a lot of flips, jumps and spins. L.A. Salsa is danced on 1, which means that a slightly more pronounced step is taken on the first beat.
New York style is mostly danced on 2, but there are people who dance this style on 1. New York Salsa steps focus on the exactness of execution of the often complex patterns. Similarly to L.A. style it avoids travelling and is danced on the spot. Also, frequently the dance partners separate and dance solo for a while.
Cuban salsa is popular not only in Cuba but also in Miami, China and Europe. The Guapea step is the essential element in this type of Salsa, and it is characterised by opposite movements, which means that the dance partners move towards each other and then separate again. There is also a cross-body lead, which is called Dile Que No. Cuban Salsa steps are characterised by a circular movement pattern, which means the dancers travel around each other while dancing. Cuban is also often danced as Rueda de Casino, which is a form of line dancing. The couples form a circle and execute the moves being shouted out by a caller. This also often involves swapping partners, in which the leader leaves the girl he is dancing with and starts dancing with the girl next to him.
I hope this short summary of the 3 most popular styles of Salsa steps has helped you a bit to take your pick. They certainly are all fun, but if you are just starting out you should really pick one style and concentrate on this for a while and maybe later try to learn another.
Freitag, 30. Oktober 2009
Dienstag, 29. September 2009
Dance Salsa Steps for More Confidence
If you want to improve your self-image and gain self-confidence, learning Salsa steps can be a great way to do that. Yes you heard me, no hyped-up self-help seminars and suspicious self-help gurus, just some plain old dancing. I know that it works, because Salsa has certainly sky-rocketed my confidence.
So what's the best way to raise your self-confidence with Salsa? The first thing you should do is join a class. You can learn Salsa steps with videos and online courses and I do recommend these methods as additional means to improve your dancing technique, but in order to raise your confidence you should really join a class. You'll make a lot of new friends and what's even better is that all the people I have met through Salsa are exceptionally nice and supportive. I don't know why that is, but Salsa seems to attract the nicest people around. This in itself is already very good for your confidence.
Salsa is also a dance that has some attitude. Salsa steps are designed to exude confidence and by dancing them this will rub off on you. It is important that for the time of your class you need to assume you are already confident and act that way. Yes, that may be easier said than done, but it's really important to come out of your shell a little bit. It takes a little courage, but the Salsa environment with all the nice people makes that exceptionally easy.
When you first join your class you start from a clean slate. So you should follow your Salsa teacher's advice and put styling and attitude in your Salsa steps. If you can just do that, even though you might not feel exactly that way, it will make a big difference. Ultimately you're going to get better and actually become the person that has attitude and confidence. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, cause everyone is learning. And if you dance with confidence a lot of the people you dance with won't even notice.
By dancing Salsa steps you'll also learn to be relaxed around the other sex and to bring out your sexy side. You'll dance with a lot of different people and Salsa is a very sexy dance, so you'll get comfortable with showing that side of you.
As you get better at Salsa your confidence will grow even more. Now you have achieved something and you're continuously improving. In the beginning you might have faked a bit of that confidence, but later on you're genuinely going to exude that confidence, because you know your Salsa steps and you know you can dance.
Going to Salsa clubs is another great confidence booster. Once you are comfortable meeting new people and dancing confidently at your Salsa school you should try to go out to a Salsa club and repeat the same thing here. It might be a bit more intimidating, but part of being confident is taking little risks and up the ante every day.
Once you've made the decision to learn Salsa you'll never want to look back and I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun on your journey to a more confident You.
So what's the best way to raise your self-confidence with Salsa? The first thing you should do is join a class. You can learn Salsa steps with videos and online courses and I do recommend these methods as additional means to improve your dancing technique, but in order to raise your confidence you should really join a class. You'll make a lot of new friends and what's even better is that all the people I have met through Salsa are exceptionally nice and supportive. I don't know why that is, but Salsa seems to attract the nicest people around. This in itself is already very good for your confidence.
Salsa is also a dance that has some attitude. Salsa steps are designed to exude confidence and by dancing them this will rub off on you. It is important that for the time of your class you need to assume you are already confident and act that way. Yes, that may be easier said than done, but it's really important to come out of your shell a little bit. It takes a little courage, but the Salsa environment with all the nice people makes that exceptionally easy.
When you first join your class you start from a clean slate. So you should follow your Salsa teacher's advice and put styling and attitude in your Salsa steps. If you can just do that, even though you might not feel exactly that way, it will make a big difference. Ultimately you're going to get better and actually become the person that has attitude and confidence. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, cause everyone is learning. And if you dance with confidence a lot of the people you dance with won't even notice.
By dancing Salsa steps you'll also learn to be relaxed around the other sex and to bring out your sexy side. You'll dance with a lot of different people and Salsa is a very sexy dance, so you'll get comfortable with showing that side of you.
As you get better at Salsa your confidence will grow even more. Now you have achieved something and you're continuously improving. In the beginning you might have faked a bit of that confidence, but later on you're genuinely going to exude that confidence, because you know your Salsa steps and you know you can dance.
Going to Salsa clubs is another great confidence booster. Once you are comfortable meeting new people and dancing confidently at your Salsa school you should try to go out to a Salsa club and repeat the same thing here. It might be a bit more intimidating, but part of being confident is taking little risks and up the ante every day.
Once you've made the decision to learn Salsa you'll never want to look back and I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun on your journey to a more confident You.
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